DRIVERS across Swindon have been urged to take more responsibility after a surge in thefts of cars and their contents.

The warning from Swin-don police comes after a significant rise in thefts during July and August.

Crime prevention officer Paul Cook said: "Owners should take more responsibility for their vehicles and belongings.

"Car crime is a problem not only locally, but nationally.

"Wiltshire has one of the lowest rates of car crime, however this is of little comfort when you discover that your car has been broken into."

Figures just released by the police show that during July there were 180 incidents.

There were 53 thefts in the town centre, while to the north of the town 48 thefts were reported.

In the police's east sector there were 40 reports, 21 in the west of the town, while in villages and towns around Swindon there were only 18 thefts.

During August 148 thefts were reported to the police led by the north sector, where there were 51 thefts.

In the central sector there were 35 thefts, in the east 32 while just 21 took place in West Swindon.

There were only nine reported incidents in the rural areas around town.

Last month violent incidents in the town centre bore out concerns that security in the town centre would be dangerously low after 40 nightclub and pub doorstaff were laid off after the police failed to process checks needed to give them official accreditation now required by law.

The Swindon Major Crime Audit 2001 compiled by Wiltshire Constabulary and other partners recor-ded levels of crime in all of the borough's 22 wards.

In every category the town centre Central ward had more than double the average number of incidents last year.

Figures show the ward, which is home to only five per cent of the population of Swindon, had 303 reported acts of violence in 2001, 339 incidents of criminal damage, 20 sexual offences and 68 cars were stolen.

While most recorded crime occurred in Central ward, the next highest levels were recorded in Eastcott, Gorse Hill, Pine-hurst, Parks, Western, Old Town, Lawn, Toothill, Westlea, Walcot and Pen-hill.